Snyder's real estate license to be pulled for unpaid support?

State agency rules that it should be suspended.

State agency rules that it should be suspended.

September 29, 2006|NANCY J. SULOK Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- David R. Snyder, embattled Roseland town councilman, could lose his real estate license under a ruling handed down this week in Indianapolis. Charlotte Callis, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration administrative law judge, made the ruling. She directed the State Child Support Bureau to order the Indiana Real Estate Commission to suspend the license. Wade Lowhorn, deputy director of the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, said once an order is received, the Real Estate Commission must send a letter to Snyder telling him that he is on probation, from five days after the letter's date. If he fails to work out a payment plan within 20 days, Lowhorn said, his license will be suspended. If he does work out a payment plan, Lowhorn said, the probationary period would end 10 days after he shows he either started paying or entered a payment plan. Snyder is supposed to be paying $1,300 a month for the support of two teenage sons who live in Texas with Snyder's ex-wife. A report from Texas, supplied by Snyder, indicates he was $87,320 behind in payments as of Aug. 1. The report showed he made almost no payments from 2000 through most of 2003. He started paying fairly regularly in December 2003, but nowhere near the $1,300. Julianne Mayfield, Snyder's ex-wife, did not return a phone message Thursday. Lowhorn described this week's ruling as very unusual, as it was done by a judge, not the Real Estate Commission. "I can't even tell you the last time we received an order" like this, he commented. Snyder said he intends to file an appeal, although whether he can is debatable. The law says the only basis for contesting the ruling is a mistake of fact. Because of the rarity of the ruling, officials seemed unsure about whether the ruling can be appealed, and they gave contradictory information. In the meantime, Lowhorn said, Snyder can continue to work as a real estate broker. This week's ruling stemmed from a hearing May 10 in Indianapolis. Snyder had argued loss of the license would keep him from earning money to pay the support. In a press release issued late Wednesday, Snyder referred to the decision as a "travesty initiated by the Dvoraks.'' He said later he was referring to the entire Dvorak family. Prosecutor Michael Dvorak had filed a notice of intent in January to suspend the license because Snyder is substantially behind in his child support payments. Kathleen Dvorak, the prosecutor's wife, runs the child support division in the prosecutor's office. Snyder said he also was referring to their son, Ryan Dvorak, who is a state representative. Michael Dvorak said the travesty was the six years Snyder has denied support to his children. Snyder argued he was making payments, including sending his entire Roseland salary of $191 a month to Texas for his sons' support. His income varies month to month by how many properties he sells, so he is to send 30 percent of his gross monthly income to Texas, too. According to Snyder, he paid $6,357 in 2004, $24,302 in 2005 and $7,213 through Aug. 1. Dvorak said Snyder has made no payment from his commissions since April 24. He noted that Snyder was not paying the prescribed support, and had been admonished by the court for "gifting'' some of his real estate commissions to his wife in a "blatant attempt to avoid paying a portion of the same toward his child support obligation.'' Staff writer Nancy J. Sulok: nsulok@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6234